The Bear Affair
by Wayya
Summary: Gen, Oneshot. Crossover with the Thursday Next universe: after the Heartless raid at Merlin's house, Sora is worried about Pooh and what's happening in Hundred Acre Wood, but someone else is on the case.


Notes: This is a crossover with the _Thursday Next_ series books by Jasper Fforde. Yes it makes completely sense! You don't have to be familiar with the Thursday Next universe to understand the story, but it probably helps. I hope you will enjoy!  
I wish I knew how to make footnotes (or code that looks like footnotes) on ffnet.

* * *

Sora was starting to be really worried. He had been so glad when Merlin had told him he had found Pooh's book in Hollow Bastion! He wanted to smack himself for his carelessness that had let the Heartless damage the precious book. Now most of the characters were nowhere to be seen and Pooh didn't remember him… Things looked bad.

He said goodbye to the bear – who didn't answer or even show in any way that he had heard him, busy with his gymnastic moves – and headed toward the exit from Hundred Acre Wood. But before he could reach it, he heard a voice at his back:

"You! Don't move!"

Sora turned back and saw a woman holding a gun in his direction. He had never seen her, and it was the first human he had met in this world. Actually, she didn't seem to be part of this world, just like him. Could she be related to the Organization or the Heartless? Or even be responsible for the theft of the missing pages?

"Who are you?" Sora asked, ready to summon his Keyblade. He would have to be quick to prevent the woman from using her weapon, but if he managed to surprise her…

"No, who are _you_," she said. "I have the gun, I ask the questions."

"I'm Sora. I'm Pooh's friend," he added defiantly.

She squinted, while her grip on her gun loosened a little. "I know you. You're the kid who appeared in _Winnie-The-Pooh _last year! The Jurisfiction wanted to arrest you for changing the plot but we… we forgot you." Her voice sounded puzzled. "How did you do that?"

"The Jurisfiction? What's that? You mean you're fighting the Heartless who attacked the book?" Sora was completely lost as well.

The woman sighed and put her weapon away. "I read the new story of _Winnie-The-Pooh _and I know how important he is to you. Do you want to collaborate with me to restore the book? If you can explain what happened, maybe I won't have to arrest you." Sora nodded, glad to have a potential new ally.

They went back to Winnie's House, where the bear was still doing wide moves and stretching. He didn't notice them, even when they passed in front of him to sit on the tree branch in front of the house.

"My name is Thursday Next," started the woman. Sora bit his lip to prevent him from making a remark about her odd name; the circumstances were serious. "The Jurisfiction is an agency of BookWorld in charge of protecting the Great Library."

He opened his mouth to ask a question but she preempted him. "The place where all the books ever created are stored. If you change something in the original novel, all copies will be changed as well. That's why our job is so important." Sora was speechless. He thought of Merlin's library, with leather-covered old books scattered everywhere, trying to get back to their shelves by themselves because the wizard was too forgetful to put them back after reading… but way, way bigger. Trying to imagine such a place made his head spin, and made him quite enthusiastic. Maybe Thursday would let him visit this world…

"Anyway," the woman continued, "_Winnie-The-Pooh _had been missing for a long time, and the Jurisfiction couldn't determine his position. But last year, we got reports saying that the copies had been restored, even if the original one was still absent. It was very mysterious so I was sent to look for the kid who had replaced Christopher in the plot – that is, you – for examination and possibly, arrest. But then we all forgot you and it's only recently that we've started to remember. The time I manage to get into the original book and the plot had disappeared again! Grammasites and plotvores aren't that fast, so when I saw you I panicked a little thinking that you may be from Hades' family…"

"What?" Sora interrupted. "But we don't look the same at all! And he's my enemy too."

"Well, sorry then." Thursday's tone was still sharp, but Sora could see that she was relieved. "Now, your turn."

"I don't know why everybody forgot me. But there's one thing I know for sure: the Heartless stole the pages because they wanted to steal the heart of this world," Sora explained. Now it was Thursday's turn to look confounded. Sora told her what these creatures were and her eyes darkened at the thought that they could one day reach BookWorld to attack all the books kept there.

"This is a serious threat… I didn't expect such a thing when I starting investigating on a simple children's book case. I must go back immediately to warn my superiors about it."

"Don't worry, I can take care of the pages," Sora said, trying to reassure her. "I've done it before. And I really want things to get normal here again. Pooh and the others… I can't let them down. And you know, I'm sorry I change the story! I didn't know it would affect the other copies and you guys."

Thursday shook her head. "I guess that, on the contrary, I should thank you for saving the characters? The book would be still lost without you." She stood up. "I'm supposed to take the book back with me. Leaving it outside the Great Library is an anomaly, it could be dangerous." (1)

"What was that?" Sora asked, eyes wide. (2)

"The librarian of the Great Library, the Cheshire Cat. We use footnotes to communicate in books." (3)

"Merlin? You mean, the character from _The History of the Kings of Britain_? He is in the Jurisfiction too? Well, after all, nothing can surprise me anymore," Thursday said with a shrug.

Sora was too angry to listen to her. "Why didn't you tell them about the Heartless?" he shouted to the Cat, his head turned to the sky. (4)

Thursday turned to Sora with an apologetic smile and started to fade away. Before she disappeared, he could hear her saying: "Sorry I have to go so soon. I hope we'll meet again, Sora! You seem to have a great potential to work with us."

Sora waved her goodbye in response, but she was already gone. After a last look at Pooh, he headed again towards the exit of the book, his resolution strengthened. Hundred Acre Wood was still eerily silent and blank when he left, but he swore to himself that he would come back soon. His friends were waiting for him.

---

(1) Actually, that problem has already been taken care of.  
(2) Hello boy, long time no see Say hi to Alice for me if you happen to land in Wonderland, okay?  
(3) The book is currently in Merlin's hands, and despite the situation, it couldn't be safer anywhere. He's an old acquaintance of mine, and you can trust him for having a few tricks spared in his sleeve. I was also told to warn you that the situation has evolved and you're asked to come back urgently.  
(4) Ah, but that would ruin all the fun, wouldn't it? Agent Next, Miss Havisham is already waiting for you, and know like me that she doesn't like waiting.


End file.
